Guinness Chocolate Cake {with Cake Mix}

This moist and fudgy Guinness chocolate cake starts with a box of cake mix for a rich, decadent dessert that tastes like it came from a bakery. Topped with a buttery Irish whiskey glaze, it’s an easy and impressive treat for St. Patrick’s Day, holidays, or any time you’re craving the best chocolate cake.

If you love easy cakes that start with a mix, you’ll also want to try this chocolate Bundt cake or this rum cake, or browse our collection of cake mix recipes for even more inspiration.

Before You Get Started

A few quick tips will help your cake turn out perfectly:

• Grease the Bundt pan really well. Coat with butter and dust with flour, or use a baking spray made for baking. This is the most important step for a clean release. Don’t skip it, or your cake will stick.
• Bring eggs and sour cream to room temperature. They’ll blend more smoothly into the batter and create a more tender, even crumb. Set them out about 30 minutes before you start.
• Use full-fat sour cream. Low-fat or light sour cream won’t give you the same richness or moisture. The high fat content is what keeps this cake exceptionally moist.
• Don’t over-bake. Start checking around the 50-minute mark. Even a few extra minutes can dry out the cake. Every oven runs a little differently, so use a toothpick to test rather than relying on time alone.

Why Bake with Guinness?

Adding Guinness to chocolate cake mix doesn’t result in a beer-flavored cake. Instead, the roasty malt character of the stout, with its notes of cocoa, caramel, and coffee, amplifies the natural chocolate flavor and adds richness you won’t get from water alone. Pair that with a little espresso powder, and you get a deeply fudgy, complex chocolate cake that tastes far more decadent than a standard boxed mix.

The Guinness also contributes to an incredibly moist crumb. Between the stout, sour cream, and instant pudding mix, this batter stays tender and rich, even days after baking.

How to Make Guinness Chocolate Cake

This cake is adapted from my mom’s chocolate Bundt cake recipe, which she got from her friend Claudia almost 40 years ago. The Guinness version adds even more depth to an already beloved family recipe. Here’s how to put it together:

Step 1: Mix the Batter

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the Devil’s Food cake mix, espresso powder, sour cream, dry pudding mix, Guinness, oil, and eggs. Beat on medium-high speed with a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer for about 2 minutes, until the batter is smooth and well combined.

The batter will be thick and dark. That’s exactly what you want.

⇢ Don’t skip the pudding mix. The gelatin in the instant pudding is what makes this cake extra moist and fluffy. It’s the secret ingredient, and it’s especially important when baking in a Bundt pan where the batter needs to stay moist throughout a longer bake time.

Step 2: Fill the Pan and Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Tap the pan on the counter once or twice to release any large air bubbles.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. The cake is typically done at about 55 minutes, but total baking time will vary depending on your oven and the type of Bundt pan you use.

⇢ Check early, not late. Start testing at the 50-minute mark. A few minutes of overbaking can take this cake from fudgy to dry.

Step 3: Cool the Cake

Let the cake stand in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and remove the pan. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the glaze.

⇢ Don’t leave it in the pan too long. After about 15 minutes, condensation starts to form between the cake and the pan. That moisture will soften the crust and can make it harder to release cleanly.

Step 4: Make the Irish Whiskey Glaze

Once the cake is completely cool, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the Irish whiskey.

Let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently as it thickens slightly. Gradually whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar until the glaze is smooth and pourable. If it’s too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar. Drizzle generously over the cooled cake.

⇢ Let it cool before adding the sugar. If the mixture is too hot when you add the confectioners’ sugar, the glaze can turn grainy or too thin. Give it those few minutes to come down in temperature.

Recipe Variations

• No alcohol? Substitute brewed coffee for the Guinness and skip the whiskey in the glaze (or use vanilla extract instead). The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor in a similar way.
• Extra chocolate: Stir 1 ½ cups of miniature chocolate chips into the batter for pockets of melty chocolate in every slice.
• Different glaze options: Instead of the whiskey glaze, try a simple dusting of powdered sugar, a vanilla glaze, or a chocolate ganache.
• No Bundt pan? Bake the batter in two standard loaf pans at 350°F for about 45 to 50 minutes. Start checking a few minutes early.

Serving Suggestions

This cake is rich enough to serve on its own, but a few simple additions can dress it up nicely. Try each slice with freshly whipped cream, fresh berries, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A sprig of fresh mint is a nice finishing touch, too.

It’s the perfect dessert to serve after a warm bowl of Irish stew or alongside a cup of coffee or a pint of Guinness.

This was so super easy and according to my ex-husband, who ate 3 servings, the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made (I have been baking all of the extended family’s cakes for years, mostly using a Bon Appetit cookbook, so this is high praise). I cannot overstate how easy it was to bake. Even the glaze I made in less than 15 minutes, and it took very little skill if you have a whisk, a decent saucepan, and a little patience.

– Ali

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

This is a great make-ahead dessert. The cake actually gets better as it sits, so feel free to bake it the day before you plan to serve it.

• Room temperature: Cover loosely and store for up to 2 to 3 days.
• Refrigerator: Store in the fridge for up to 1 week for longer shelf life.
• Freezer: Let the cake cool completely, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. The glaze won’t look quite as nice after freezing, so consider adding it fresh when you’re ready to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Chocolate Cake Recipes

• Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
• Irish Whiskey Cake
• Chocolate Pound Cake
• One Bowl Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
• Coca Cola Cake with Cake Mix